Elkann is a visionary with the ability to create specific, gorgeous worlds and unique characters, especially when it focuses on the relationship between Pupa and Gianna. The themes that arise during the film are riveting, but it stops short of fully diving into them and their implications.

So long as you aren’t expecting a masterpiece, Spy Kids: Armageddon proves itself as a fun, spy romp, where kids are king and parents are simply along for the ride. It’s childhood wish-fulfillment to the extreme, straight down to getting to live out video game fantasies and one-hit wonders.

Dever takes Duffield's clever, anxiety-inducing script and levels it up with her complex performance. Together the duo are a one-two punch, delivering a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller that promises to become a favorite among genre lovers.

There are moments of terror near the beginning, but it gets far too tangled up in a generic narrative that drowns out any sense of vision. Even with some striking visual moments and excellent sound design, it is all in service of regrettably very little.

The occasional moment of machine gun motorcycle jousting aside, it is a largely dull and dreary experience that never feels like it is ever anything more than a hollow mimicry of far better action works of the past.

Without much footage of the war itself, the firsthand accounts from the passengers in the car are enough to paint a picture of the terrors that they've endured and their need to find a better place to stay.

A film filled with intensity, this is a worthwhile, deliciously vile watch.

The film has the power to bring its audience to tears because the story is powerful, and the thoughtful creative decisions do justice to it.

As a whole, Arquette's directorial effort is fun, but forgettable. Despite pulling out laughs from viewers here and there or Dafoe and Morrone's impeccable deliveries, the plot doesn't quite stay with you.

As a live-action film, The Peasants would’ve been a grand achievement, but by taking the time to animate these frames and add that extra texture to this story, the Welchmans have made one of the most impressive animated films of the year by far.

Given that the two leads in this project don't seem to have a clear driving force to their actions, this feminist thriller does more to show the challenges that women face than to create fully developed characters. Although the film does end with a bang, these missteps leading up to the resolution make the final scene bittersweet.

NYAD may use the well-known formula of the underdog eventually proving everyone wrong, but it doesn't feel that formulaic much due to the teamwork on screen and behind the scenes in this film.

Bennett lifts the story up just like the bubbles in the veuve's own delicious champagne, showing us the brilliance in this biopic drama.

As a documentary, Sorry/Not Sorry isn’t groundbreaking in terms of form or information, but it does feel important in the larger conversations that Suh and Montes are exploring, as C.K. isn’t the first nor will he be the last celebrity to have the pain they've caused unveiled to the world.

By capturing Flipside in this way, Wilcha shows the weird, unbelievable nature of life and the surprises that make it such a beautiful mess.

The End We Start From leaves the audience with plenty to ponder and think about alongside reminiscing about Comer's incredible performance.

The film is funny but also manages to be a smart comedy that feeds off its dramatic moments for a story that shines thanks to the depth of sisterly love.

Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car worked so beautifully because of the smaller, quiet moments of life, the drives from one place to the next, and the undiscovered moments that we keep hidden. Evil Does Not Exist turns these moments into an entire feature-length film, and while it might seem slight at times, the approach is wonderful in its own right—a master filmmaker taking his time and embracing the silence.

Perfect Days is another masterwork from Wenders, a recognition of life’s curiosities, the small details that make it all worthwhile, and finding beauty in the overlooked things in life.

Ezra is irresistibly charming, full of so much passion and care, and finds strength where similar films fall flat.

There's an interesting story in here, and a far better Keaton performance within it too, but it is the kind of thriller that lacks the tension and excitement that it needed.

It has a lot on its mind that it wants to tackle, but that leaves much of the explorations it is undertaking feeling half-baked. This doesn’t drag things down too much, as it is mostly able to keep light on its feet, but it does make things a bit wobbly.

Unlike the real-life woman, Lee settles on being ordinary when it could have been extraordinary.

In North Star’s attempt to be sincere and heartfelt, everything feels weirdly prosaic and unduly sentimental. It all makes for an immensely forgettable film.

The Movie Teller is a beautiful and moving look into how cinema can bring a community together and how art can help to heal broken hearts.

It is a work of big emotions and heart in the middle of the worst time of a person’s life that is also one of the best films of the year.

Even when you then think it may have all settled down, the film twists the knife even further.

There are great ideas throughout Fingernails and strong filmmaker instincts, but it also feels like a film that should’ve gone just a bit deeper into this world, its love, and its ideas.